CMU awarded $375,000 PNC Foundation grant

By the Midland Daily News

Published 5:30 am, Saturday, April 19, 2014

Central Michigan University has been awarded a $375,000 grant from the PNC Foundation that will benefit a variety of programs on campus. Included is a five-year grant worth at least $150,000 that will be used to support pre-kindergarten educational enrichment programming and professional development opportunities for educators in CMU’s Child Development and Learning Laboratory.

The grant is part of the PNC Grow Up Great program, a $350 million initiative in early childhood education to help prepare children for success in school and life and is in addition to the PNC Foundation’s prior gift of $120,000 to the university.

Tim Salisbury, PNC Financial Services Group regional president for mid-Michigan, will award the first check for $30,000 at a 10 a.m. ceremony April 22 in the CMU Education and Human Services Building Room 146.

The grant will allow CMU to establish a Visiting Educator Exchange Program to bring an annual international artist, educator or scholar to campus to provide educational opportunities in early childhood programming.

“CMU’s Child Development and Learning Laboratory is one of the leading programs of its kind in Michigan,” said Salisbury. “PNC supports this type of programming because it will greatly impact local families while serving as a national model for pre-K education.”

The exchange program will consist of two components:

A visiting educator who will offer workshops and enrichment opportunities for pre-K children, pre- and in-service teachers and CMU faculty; and a return trip by Child Development and Learning Laboratory staff to the visiting educator’s home site to continue an exploration of best practices in early childhood education.

This programming aims to provide educational enrichment activities that benefit children today, while also providing the tools and skills needed for students and educators to incorporate into their own programs and classrooms.

“This award from PNC Bank strengthens our program by providing a unique opportunity for children, their families and the community,” said Margaret Desormes, director of the Child Development and Learning Laboratory. “Being able to have a resident artist, Roberta Pucci from Italy, working directly with young children will provide many opportunities for professional development within the early childhood community and help the children express their ideas through art.”

CMU’s Child Development and Learning Laboratory enrolls 68 preschool children per year, with at least 50 percent of those being Head Start participants.